Golden Gate Men's Chorus

Golden Gate Men’s Chorus
San Francisco, California (2013)
Background information
Also known as	GGMC
Origin	San Francisco, California, United States
Genres	Choral
Occupation(s)	Men's Choir
Instruments	50 voices
Years active	1982-present
Labels	Self-produced
Website	www.ggmc.org
Members	Music Director Joseph Piazza CEO Richard Rosser CFO Randall Kikukawa Secretary Seán Foley

Golden Gate Men's Chorus (GGMC) is a gay men’s chorus founded in 1982 and located in San Francisco. The GGMC is a group of 50 ethnically and socially diverse men, and is dedicated to giving voice to the gay community through song. The GGMC presents spring, summer, and winter programs annually, in addition to numerous guest and community benefit performances throughout the year.

In August, 1982, GGMC founder Dick Kramer put out word (and posters) that he was forming a new group, to be called the Dick Kramer Gay Men's Chorale. He envisioned a small men's ensemble of around 40, reminiscent of university men's choruses of 19th century Europe. The new chorale rehearsed at Dick's home for its first couple years, before finding a home, first at St. Francis Lutheran Church in San Francisco, and in 1996 at St. Matthew's Lutheran Church, where it now rehearses and performs. The chorale performed three sets annually, with each set consisting of 3-4 performances in San Francisco, San Mateo, Marin, Alameda and/or Contra Costa counties. The chorale also did regular joint performances with the Temescal GMC (Oakland), Liedermann Chorus (now Silicon Valley GMC), Contra Costa Chorale, VOICES Lesbian Chorus, Lesbian/Gay Chorus of San Francisco, and San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus, as well as participating in the annual Pride Concert. The DKGMC was also a founding member of the new organization, GALA Choruses (Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses), in 1983 (and has been represented in every GALA festival to date).

From its first performances in 1982, the DKGMC was well received by the local press and San Francisco audiences, and received favorable reviews for its programming and performances. In addition, the DKGMC was featured regularly at the Cable Car Awards, both as performer and award recipient, and sang for the opening of Harvey Milk Plaza in San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood.

Major performances of the period include: full-scale production of Benjamin Britten's "The Burning Fiery Furnace" (1984), Giuseppe Verdi "Requiem (Verdi)" (1985, with the Contra Costa Chorale), Carl Orff "Carmina Burana (Orff)" (1986, with Contra Costa Chorale). The Britten performance was rebroadcast nationally, as well as in Europe and Australia. The DKGMC was among 17 choruses at the second GALA Choruses festival in Minneapolis in 1986, and shared the stage with the Denver Women's Chorus in a special joint performance of Schubert's "Mass in G," the first large mixed choral performance at a GALA festival. After almost six years as music director, in April 1988, Dick Kramer conducted his farewell concert of Kurt Weill's "Berliner Requiem."